Combination of an undershirt and a four-cornered garment with fringes

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an undershirt provided with means for releasable attachment thereto of a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes as well as providing a four-cornered garment with fringes having a releasable attachment means for attachment thereof to a garment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a garment with releasable attachment of a four-cornered garment with fringes as well as to a four-cornered garment with fringes with a releasable attachment means to a garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over thousands of years, observant Jewish males wear a four-cornered fringed garment, known as “Tzitzit” [Heb. Literally, fringe], “Tzitziot” [Heb. Literally, fringes] or “Tallit katan” [Heb. Literally, little garment].

In accordance with Biblical Law, every garment having four corners can be worn by a Jewish male only if there are attached to each corner thereof a fringe. The fringe has a predefined number of knots and threads.

The Jewish Law or halakah, requires males aged 13 and over to wear such a garment during the day. Likewise young boys wear Tzitziot so as to accustom them to this Law.

A further requirement of the Jewish Law is that after putting on the Tzitziot or fringed garment, the lower portion thereof, near to the abdomen and far from the neck must not have any connecting means or closures but must remain open in at least the lower half thereof.

Until the last couple of decades, the Tzitziot were worn above an undershirt. The Tzitziot comprised a “four-cornered garment” with specially braided fringes (tzitzioth) attached to each of the four corners. Prior to the last generation, the four-cornered Tzitzioth garment was constructed from a simple four-cornered rectangular piece of material, typically of cotton or wool, with a central circular/ovular/rectangular cut out. The cut out provided a hole through which the wearer's head could pass, thus allowing a front part of the material to drape down on the wearer's chest and a rear part over the wearer's back.

The old-style Tzitzioth have a number of physical drawbacks. Most importantly, they are not secured in place on the body and tend to move around on the body, both causing discomfort to the wearer and providing an untidy appearance.

Additionally, a Jewish prayer shawl or “Talit” is a four cornered garment, worn as a shawl around the body and has fringes attached to each of the four corners thereof.

This invention discloses a method for attaching to at least one of a) a fringed garment, selected from a Talit and Tzitziot, and b) an undershirt or T-shirt worn under the fringed garment, means for connecting between the undershirt or T-shirt and the fringed garment. At least two connecting means are envisaged.

The Jewish Law does allow for connection in the upper part of the garment, such as by connecting the rear part to the front part, which may even be performed by sewing them together. The four cornered garment may also be connected to another garment, using temporary means, a press stud, button in a button hole, VELCRO™, hooks and eyes, or any other connecting means which require a physical action in order to separate the two connecting parts of the connecting means.

Additionally, the Jewish Law allows for connecting the four cornered garment by “non-affixing” means such as by using a loop or other aperture to allow the threads of the fringes to be passed therethrough to allow connection between the undershirt or other garment with the four-cornered garment. The non-affixing means do not require undoing in order to release the four-cornered garment from the undershirt, in the same way as a press-stud or button needs to be released.

As defined herein “Tzitziot” means a four cornered garment having a fringe attached to each of the four corners.

As defined herein “Talit” means a four-cornered prayer shawl having a fringe attached to each of the four corners.

By “connection”, is meant any connecting means similar to a press stud, button in a button hole, hook and eye attachment means know as VELCRO™, strap and buckle means, or any other connecting means which require a physical action in order to separate the two connecting parts of the connecting means.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,780 to Falack describes a combined shirt and religious article that is rectangular in shape, includes a neck opening, and fasteners for fitting it to the torso of the wearer, It replaces the need for a separate undershirt and Tzitzioth (fringed religious garment).

US Patent Application 20050097651 to Segol, describes garments in which the torso front panel and the torso back panel are stitched together along at least a portion of each side of the garment, and along a remaining portion of each side the torso front panel and the torso back panel are left unstitched together. The unstitched together portion of each of the torso front panel and the torso back panel overlap along the side of the garment so as to enclose the torso of the wearer.

Each intersection of the bottom edge and the corresponding overlapping side edge of each of the torso front panel and the torso back panel defines a corner that may be configured to be either angular or rounded. '651 describes a portion stitched together along each side of the garment including at least a portion of the circumference of each arm hole, and the unstitched together portion extends below each the arm hole.

Additionally, '651 discloses the portion stitched together along each side of the garment including an attachment to a yoke, and the unstitched together portion extends below the yoke.

'651 further discloses a garment comprising a garment body and at least one eyelet formed in a side region of said garment body so as to allow for the passage of tzitzioth attached to a second garment worn under said garment body, through said garment body so as to be visible outside said garment.

There is still a need to provide Tzitziot which meet the requirements of the Jewish Law, but are also versatile, comfortable and are esthetically pleasing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide Tzitziot with an opening for the head, to be worn above an undershirt.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, improved methods are provided for providing Tzitziot which is close fit above the undershirt, such that it does not move freely as a separate garment to the undershirt.

More specifically, according to the present invention there is now provided an undershirt provided with means for releasable attachment thereto of a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, said means releasably interconnect with complimentary means provided on said four-cornered garment.

In other preferred embodiments of the present invention there is provided a four-cornered garment with fringes, provided with means for releasable attachment thereof to an undershirt.

Preferably said means are adapted to substantially retain and hold the four-cornered garment in a fixed position relative to the undershirt whether said means are provided on the undershirt, on the four-cornered garment with fringes or on both.

Thus, in preferred embodiments of the present invention said complimentary means provided on said undershirt and said four-cornered garment are selected from at least one of: a button and button hole, a hook and eye attachment means known as VELCRO™, strap and buckle means and a male and female press-stud.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention said means comprise two separate gathering means provided on opposite sides of said undershirt and sized and positioned to gather and retain a front and back pair of fringes from said four-cornered garment.

In said preferred embodiments preferably said means comprise a pair of apertures provided along a lower area of said undershirt.

In other preferred embodiments of the present invention said means comprise a pair of loops attached to opposite lower sides of said undershirt.

Preferably said loops are elastic.

In especially preferred embodiments of the present invention there is provided an undershirt as defined above, comprising a plurality of complimentary means for releasable attachment of said undershirt and said four-cornered garment and two separate gathering means provided on opposite sides of said undershirt and sized and positioned to gather and retain a front and back pair of fringes from said four-cornered garment.

In the embodiments wherein the attachment means are integrally provided on said four-cornered garment with fringes, in a -first preferred embodiment, said means comprise strap and buckle means for attachment to the shoulder straps of an undershirt.

In a second preferred embodiment, said means comprise clip means for attachment to the shoulder straps of an undershirt.

The invention also provides a combination of an undershirt as defined above and a four cornered garment with fringes (tzitziot).

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for releasably attaching an undershirt with a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes comprising:

-   -   (i) providing an undershirt with means for releasable attachment         to a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes; and     -   (ii) releasably attaching said undershirt to said four-cornered         garment with fringes.

In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a method for releasably attaching an undershirt and a four cornered garment, whereby when a person gets dressed with the undershirt and four cornered garment, the undershirt and four cornered garment remain releasably attached one to the other so as to prevent the independent movement of the four cornered garment relative to the undershirt and vice versa.

'651 teaches eyelets in an outer garment adapted to allow the passage of the fringes therethrough from an inner garment for users who wish to display the tzitziot (four cornered garment with fringes) of their inner garment externally to their clothes. The present invention, in contrast teaches the passage of the fringes through loops provided on a specially designed undershirt worn under the tzitziot to assist in limiting the relative movement of the four-cornered garment relative thereto.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, certain parts of the four-cornered garment and the undershirt may be of the same size.

Firstly, the connecting means to the undershirt or T-shirt, typically disposed in the upper half of the Talit or fringed garment (that is a little less than a half, because one needs to leave more than the lower half open). As stated above, the connecting means may be, for example, one or more of the following: a press-stud, a button, a hook and eye, reusable VELCRO™ connecting means and the like, but excluding stitching. The connecting means may be placed at one or more locations of the fringed garment, typically on side facing the body of the wearer, such as under a sleeve or above a sleeve of the undershirt or T-shirt.

It should be noted that an undershirt may be sleeveless or have sleeves.

The fringed garment may have connecting means which allow for connecting with the undershirt and/or for connecting one part of the fringed garment to another part thereof. For example, there may be connecting means from a front part of the fringed garment to a rear part. Additionally or alternatively, there may be connecting means with the undershirt.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, press studs are used for connecting between the fringed garment and the undershirt as follows: Under the right shoulder in a front portion of the fringed garment, there is a male press stud with a protrusion sticks out and on the rear side of the garment, there is a female press stud with a hole designed to press-fit, click-fit or snap-fit with the male press stud. A number of pairs of press studs may be disposed on the underside of the fringed garment and on the upper side of the undershirt to reduce the degrees of freedom of movement of the fringed garment relative to the undershirt.

By correct choice of the number and location of the press studs or other connecting means, the fringed garment may be well connected to the undershirt to provide reduced movement of the fringed garment relative to the undershirt, as well as reduced movement of the fringed garment, relative to the movements of the wearer thereof.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, an undershirt is provided at at least one upper side thereof with a loop, ring, strap or any other aperture, made out of elastic, shoe lace or other convenient material, the aperture being designed to allow the passing therethrough of the strings of the fringes, such that the fringes cannot be pulled away, as is required by the Halakah, or Jewish Law.

By use of two apertures, such as one being located at a left side of the wearer and another at the right side thereof, the fringed garment is disposed adjacent to the undershirt. It should be understood that each of the loops may be used for the passing through of both a rear fringe and a front fringe.

Alternatively, there may be four apertures on the undershirt, one for each of the four fringes, namely two on the right side of the wearer and two on the left side thereof.

Thus, the apertures allow for the passing of one or more fringes of the fringed garment to a substantially fixed position on the undershirt. This arrangement allows for the spatial affixing of the fringed garment on the undershirt.

The first embodiment hereinabove requires that the connecting means are both on the fringed garment and on the undershirt, whereas the second embodiment requires that the connecting means, apertures for example, may be only on the undershirt.

Any variation of these examples is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention, such as the connection of another garment with another garment, other than an undershirt.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration showing an undershirt provided with means for releasable attachment thereto of a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes; in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified pictorial illustration showing a four-cornered garment mounted on an undershirt, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an embodiment showing an undershirt and a four-cornered garment in a stitching assembly;

FIG. 4 is a non-detailed view of a strap and buckle assembly of the two garments; and

FIG. 5 is a detail view of assembly of the two garments by clip means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a is a simplified pictorial illustration showing an undershirt 20 provided with means for releasable attachment thereto of a component of a four-cornered garment 30 with fringes 34 seen in FIG. 2; in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Undershirt 20 may be sleeveless or have sleeves 21. Typically, the undershirt is made out of cotton or a cotton/polyester blend, though other materials are construed to be within the scope of the present invention. Typically the undershirt comprises at least one means for attaching the four-cornered garment thereto. These means may include, but are not limited to, one or more VELCRO™ bands 24, one or more “male” protruding sections 26. The undershirt comprises an outer surface 28 and an inner surface 29. The aforementioned means may be sewn or glued onto undershirt 20 on the outer surface by methods known in the art. Additionally or alternatively, the means may include buttons and buttonholes, or hooks and eyes (not shown). Typically, these means are attached to upper parts of the outer surface 28 of the undershirt, such as on sleeves 21.

As seen in FIG. 2 a four-cornered garment 30, which is preferably made of wool, but may be made of cotton or cotton/polyester blends for example is rectangular with a fringe 34 disposed at each one of the four corners thereof. Typically, the fringes comprise several threads, which are connected via a series of knots 36 to a square piece of cloth 38, via a loop 40 which extends through an aperture 42 at the corner of the garment. The garment is typically symmetrical along a longitudinal axis and is often symmetrical also about a horizontal axis. Garment 30 typically has a length of around 1.2-1.6 m and a width of around 40-70 cm.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, an underside 48 of the garment comprises VELCRO™ hook strips 44 placed suitably to mate with the VELCRO™ eye strips 24 of undershirt 20. Additionally or alternatively, the underside 48 comprises female sections 46 of press studs, placed suitably to mate with male sections 26 on undershirt 20. It should be understood that these means may be placed on a front side of the garment, on a rear side thereof or on both the front and the rear side.

Undershirt 30 further comprises a large cut out 52, which may be, for example, hexagonal, rhomboid, square, circular or ovular. The cut out is designed to allow a person to easily pass his head therethrough upon putting on the garment.

It should be understood that upon getting dressed, a person first wears the undershirt and then places the garment over the undershirt such that when the underside of garment 30 is mounted over the upper side 28 of undershirt 20, the garment and undershirt can be brought into close contact via all of the above said means. This is explained in further detail with reference to FIG. 3 hereinbelow.

Additionally or alternatively, the means mentioned hereinabove may include one or more apertures 22, such as loop, ring, bands or other hollowed means These means are typically situated at the lower sides of the garment. There may be two or four of these apertures. These apertures may be made out of elastic, metal, hemp or other materials known in the art.

Turning now to FIG. 3, which is a simplified pictorial illustration showing a combination 70 of four-cornered garment 30 mounted on an undershirt 20, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, an upper section of garment 30 is stitched along the lengths thereof with stitching 32. The garment sits in close fit with the body of the undershirt 20. Two fringes neatly protrude through each of a pair of loops 22. One loop is on the right side of the garment and the other loop is disposed on the left side thereof.

With reference now to FIG. 4, there is seen a further assembly 80 of a four-cornered garment 82 with fringes and an undershirt 84. The garment 82 is provided with strap and buckle means 86 for releasable attachment thereof to the shoulder straps 88 of the undershirt 84.

An important advantage of the present embodiment is that the sleeveless undershirt 84 requires no modification whatever, being used as received from the retailer.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detail of an embodiment 90 wherein the two clothing articles 84, 92 are interconnected by means of clip means 94, the clip preferably being attached to the four-cornered garment 92. Thus again there is used the sleeveless undershirt 84 which requires no modification whatever for the purposes of the present invention.

The clip 94 can be molded from a polymer such as nylon. Maximum durability and flatness for avoiding visible protrusion of the assembly is achieved by manufacture of the clip means using stainless steel.

The references cited herein teach many principles that are applicable to the present invention. Therefore the full contents of these publications are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details set forth in the description contained herein or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and changes can be applied to the embodiments of the invention as hereinbefore described without departing from its scope, defined in and by the appended claims. 

1. An undershirt provided with means for releasable attachment thereto of a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes.
 2. An undershirt according to claim 1, wherein said means releasably interconnect with complimentary means provided on said four-cornered garment.
 3. An undershirt according to claim 1, wherein said means are adapted to substantially retain and hold the four-cornered garment in a fixed position relative to the undershirt.
 4. An undershirt according to claim 1, wherein said complimentary means provided on said undershirt and said four-cornered garment are selected from at least one of: a button and button hole, VELCRO™, a hook and an eye, and a male and female press-stud.
 5. An undershirt according to claim 1, wherein said means comprise two separate gathering means provided on opposite sides of said undershirt and sized and positioned to gather and retain a front and back pair of fringes from said four-cornered garment.
 6. An undershirt according to claim 5, wherein said means comprise a pair of apertures provided along a lower area of said undershirt.
 7. An undershirt according to claim 5, wherein said means comprise a pair of loops attached to opposite lower sides of said undershirt.
 8. An undershirt according to claim 7, wherein said loops are elastic.
 9. An undershirt according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of complimentary means for releasable attachment between said undershirt and said four-cornered garment and two separate gathering means.
 10. A combination of an undershirt according to claim 1 and a four cornered garment with fringes (tzitziot).
 11. A method for releasably attaching an undershirt with a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes comprising: (i) providing an undershirt with means for releasable attachment to a component of a four-cornered garment with fringes; and (ii) releasably attaching said undershirt to said four-cornered garment with fringes.
 12. A method according to claim 12, further comprising reducing the movement of said four-cornered garment with fringes relative to said undershirt.
 13. A method according to claim 13, wherein said movement is substantially eliminated.
 14. A four-cornered garment with fringes, said garment being provided with means for releasable attachment thereof to an undershirt.
 15. A four-cornered garment with fringes according to claim 14, wherein said means comprise strap and buckle means for attachment to the shoulder straps of an undershirt.
 16. A four-cornered garment with fringes according to claim 14, wherein said means comprise clip means for attachment to the shoulder straps of an undershirt. 